CVE-2015-9440 in monetize Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The monetize plugin through 1.03 for WordPress has CSRF with resultant XSS via wp-admin/admin.php?page=monetize-zones-new.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2023
The CVE-2015-9440 vulnerability affects the monetize plugin version 1.03 or earlier for WordPress, presenting a critical security flaw that combines cross-site request forgery with cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability exists within the administrative interface of the plugin, specifically at the wp-admin/admin.php?page=monetize-zones-new endpoint, making it particularly dangerous as it targets the WordPress admin area where privileged users perform sensitive operations. The flaw allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of an authenticated admin user's browser session, potentially leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and missing anti-CSRF tokens in the plugin's administrative forms, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the monetize plugin's administrative interface. When an administrator navigates to the monetize zones new page, the plugin fails to implement anti-CSRF tokens or validate the origin of requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administration system. The XSS component emerges when the plugin processes user input without adequate sanitization or output encoding, enabling attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into the administrative interface. This dual nature of the vulnerability means that a successful CSRF attack can result in persistent XSS, where malicious scripts are stored and executed whenever the admin user views the affected page. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-79, which covers Cross-Site Scripting, making it a compound vulnerability that amplifies the potential impact of exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code within the context of an authenticated WordPress administrator. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can modify plugin settings, create new administrator accounts, modify existing user permissions, and potentially access sensitive data or perform destructive operations on the WordPress installation. The administrative interface of the monetize plugin typically handles configuration settings for ad zones, making the compromised system vulnerable to ad injection attacks, content manipulation, and potential data exfiltration. The vulnerability also presents a risk of lateral movement within the network if the compromised WordPress installation is part of a larger system architecture, as administrators often have elevated privileges that can be leveraged for further attacks. This vulnerability type is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through social engineering techniques, where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites that automatically submit CSRF requests to the compromised WordPress installation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9440 should include immediate patching of the monetize plugin to version 1.04 or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms and input sanitization fixes. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures such as monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests, and ensuring that all WordPress plugins are regularly updated from trusted sources. The implementation of proper input validation and output encoding practices should be enforced across all administrative interfaces, and CSRF tokens should be mandatory for all administrative forms. Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access controls and limiting administrative privileges to only necessary personnel. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, highlighting the need for both technical and user awareness-based defenses. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins or custom code implementations, as this type of vulnerability often indicates broader security weaknesses in the application architecture.